Community Engagement Training: Develop your knowledge and skills in community engagement and project planning and assessment. Build your community partnership, plan your project, and engage in discussion and guided reflections to deepen your understanding of development challenges in Winnipeg and think critically about existing and emerging issues.

Training Dates:
January 15, January 22, January 29, February 5, February 12

Optional Social Day: Explore Winnipeg with your new friends on Louis Riel Day. Head to the Forks, the Festival du Voyageur, go to a community event or visit a neighbourhood that’s new-to-you.

Three-day placement: Implement your community project with your team and the community partner organization. Each day will conclude with a small group debrief and reflection to unpack your experiences and help make connections between your formal academic learning and experiences in the community.

Three-month placement option: Build a deeper relationship with your team members, community partner and the community you're serving. Longer engagements are strongly encouraged for certain community partner organizations.

Winnipeg Harvest Day: Tour Winnipeg Harvest and get your hands dirty, literally, in the warehouse sorting food for distribution. Participate in an oppression workshop to understand power and oppression in the context of community organizing. Witness a powerful and emotional lived experience panel consisting of Winnipeg Harvest clients, volunteers and employees.

Engagement Training: Finish off your Community Engagement Training by reflecting on your community project and honing your project assessment skills.

Alternative Reading Week Winnipeg is offered in partnership with the University of Manitoba Student Union, Winnipeg Harvest and various community organizations in Winnipeg.

The project that you implement during your three-day community placement will meet a need defined by the community partner organization. Last year, projects included:

designing and leading mentoring workshops for elementary school-aged children with Big Brother Big Sisters of Winnipeg;

helping to produce creative content, such as infographics and fact sheets, and working on communications for public education initiatives at the Manitoba Association of Rights and

designing a winter teaching lodge for a new youth initiative at Circle of Life Thunderbird House.

U of M students have been placed with a diverse range of Alternative Reading Week community partner organizations, including:

*Program participants are responsible for the cost of obtaining a Police Information Check and Child Abuse Registry Check if they are placed at a community organization with vulnerable community members, such as children or youth.